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Anime/Japanese Culture references in the Pokemon Anime

ehh123

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Anime has been known to put in references to other anime or just Japanese culture in general, be it subtle or obvious, and Pokemon is no different. In Kanto, they were all over the place because the creators had no idea it would reach a global audience. By Johto, they had lessened but still popped up from time to time.

In Alola, the references just increased. I attribute that to head writer Aya Matsui. We got a hint of what was to come in the Matsui-written XY115, where Team Rocket performed an Enka number before going to their regular motto.

They have decreased again in Journeys.

I think the one I find the most amusing was when a character of the day who owned a Croagunk looked too similar to the main character of Gutsy Frog and they had to redesign the character for reruns, including the American version.

What's your favorite reference that the anime has made?
 
This is unreal I never realized this.

The redesign is so bizarre he looks like a character from Best Wishes instead of Diamond and Pearl.
 
SM093_Slayers_reference.png


I still love how in Lillier and the Staff!, Lisa Ortiz voiced Jessie in her Lina Inverse cosplay (a reference to her Japanese voice actress, Megumi Hayashibara) because she played the character in the Slayers dub.
 
They referenced Heidi once during Johto, with Latin dub!James even quoting the theme song.

Also, the TRio are also a reference to the gang from Time Bokan, or possibly the Doronbo gang from Yatterman since they are way more popular.

Isamu Akai and his Clefairy from Pocket Monsters also made a cameo in the Hoenn saga.

There was a Pikachu with Boruto's hairstyle in the Alola League.

Those are all the references that come to mind.
 
As OP has mentioned, these anime/Japanese references really ramped up in SM. While I'm not really a fan of most of them, I did like SM069 for their interpretation of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

I feel like some anime references are fine, but not to the degree of SM where we constantly get art shifts in the style of other anime. In my opinion, subtle/classic anime references are still ok (such as James' Heidi reference in Johto, Meowth's Jojo poses in XY057, or Jessie's VA roles in SM093), but references that are too contemporary shouldn't be used (such as the Pop Team Epic faces in SM078).

I don't like how writers in SM are always so quick to throw in an anime reference just for a meme or a quick laugh; those references really date the anime, and I view the Pokemon anime as an experience that should be timeless. (What I'm saying here is that, even if someone watches an episode that is more than 20-years-old from the OG series, the only thing that would tip them off on the age of the anime would probably be the 4:3 aspect ratio or the eye designs)
 
I've read that the Nidoking and Nidoqueen trainers from the AG episode where Ash and James had a battle with May and Jessie were a reference to Rose of Versailles.

They were all over the place in Jouto (and Houen, and Sinnoh, and Isshu, and Kalos) as well. Westerners just didn't pick up on them for a number of reason.
Honestly this is something I've always assumed.
 
One great example is the Dream Thief episode of Best Wishes! that came out in 2011.

ep045_leon_pose.png


The COTD is an Iyami from Osomatsu-kun parody but most Westerners didn't catch on to this back in 2011 because the old Osomatsu-kun series never came out in the West. And its modern-day sequel series, Osomatsu-san, was still a few years away.

Years and years later Sun & Moon had Kojirou do an Iyami parody and suddenly everyone recognized who he was :)
 
The COTD is an Iyami from Osomatsu-kun parody but most Westerners didn't catch on to this back in 2011 because the old Osomatsu-kun series never came out in the West. And its modern-day sequel series, Osomatsu-san, was still a few years away.
Well, the 80's series was translated into European Spanish as "Cosas de Locos" or something like that, but I don't know how popular it was there...
 
They were all over the place in Jouto (and Houen, and Sinnoh, and Isshu, and Kalos) as well. Westerners just didn't pick up on them for a number of reason.
Me for example. To tell the truth I miss like 90% of all references when watching an episode of a foreign show.

I never really like how some shows relies to much on references and parodies, being it Western or not, as I'd miss most if not all of them all the time as a kid. Not mentioning a lot were also lost in our local dub (there's a Dexter's Lab episode, for eg, that Dexter's dad talks like those unseen Charlie Brown's adults while chewing on a taffy. The dub replaced this sound to him actually speaking normally, wasting the reference completely).
 
Furry yellow monster, can attack with electricity, is pals with a human boy and sometimes rides on his back.

Did I just describe Pikachu or Tora?
ushio_tora_complete_featured-1024x413.jpg

It helps that Kunihiko Yuyama directed the 90s Ushio and Tora OVA.
 
One great example is the Dream Thief episode of Best Wishes! that came out in 2011.

View attachment 134525

The COTD is an Iyami from Osomatsu-kun parody but most Westerners didn't catch on to this back in 2011 because the old Osomatsu-kun series never came out in the West. And its modern-day sequel series, Osomatsu-san, was still a few years away.

Years and years later Sun & Moon had Kojirou do an Iyami parody and suddenly everyone recognized who he was :)
I recall Meowth doing Iyami's famous "SHEEEH!" pose at one point during Sun and Moon.
 
20200709_214305.jpg
What makes it better that, they changed Alola girls' main colours so they could be similar to their Precure counterparts: Mao is pink 'cause she's positivist, genki girl like most other pink precures; Lilie is blue because she's serious, smart one like most other blue precures; Suiren is yellow 'cause she's the quirky one, etc...

On the other hand: In Hugtto Precure there was a sexist minor character that looks like the lovechild of Satoshi and Taichi from Digimon. He was hogging the whole park with other boys, and they kick him and his team's butt in a basketball game.
images - 2020-07-09T214133.193.jpeg
 
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